The craft of the cut: the Final Cut Pro X editor's handbook

The art of professional video editing

Although technology is rapidly evolving, it is still complicated to edit video. This unique book not only teaches you the art of professional editing, it also gives you authentic professional experience. You'll be guided through a typical industry production workflow; you'll have access to raw footage, including alternate takes of each scene from a professional short film; and you'll make your own decisions. By the book's end, you'll have completed your own version of a film. It's the perfect primer for aspiring editors who want to ascend to industry-level positions.

• Immerses you in the actual experience of editing a film, from video rushes to the shooting script and continuity notes
• Provides actual media, including alternate takes, and you make all the decisions
• Walks you through the post-production of a professional short film; by the book's end, you will have acquired the skills to complete your own version of the film
• Shows you how to use Final Cut Pro X as part of the production process

The Craft of the Cut goes deep inside the world of professional video editing and equips you with skills for professional-level editing.

The Craft of the Cut project files will work with the latest version of Final Cut Pro X (10.1) but they need to be updated first:

Either copy the Craft of the Cut disk image file on the DVD to your hard disc and click on it to mount it or, if you are using an ebook version use the link provided in the front matter of the ebook to download the files and follow the instructions in the READ ME FIRST document.

Launch Final Cut Pro X. When FCPX opens it won't see the project and event folders that are on the disk image. These need to be updated first. You do this by going to:

File > Update Projects and Events and then clicking Update All on the dialog box that appears.

It will now show all the events and projects for Craft of the Cut as in previous versions of Final Cut Pro X, but using the new layout. This only needs to be done once. Next time you launch FCPX it will still be able to see the updated files.